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Varsity
A bright sunshine awaited the varsity as we boarded the bus and headed to Portage. We normally play a full invitational, with 8 teams, on this Saturday. However, because of COVID, small numbers and other factors, 5 of those teams could not play. So, instead, we played a "Double Dual" invitational, where the 3 remaining schools played round robin style.
Merrillville played Portage in the first match of the day. We arrived midway through the match, and Portage and Merrillville were having a very good match. We warmed up, checking in on our next opponents every now and then. Cameron broke a string and was able to test out a new racket. We got our serves flowing the way we liked. The Portage-Merrillville match ended 3-2 for Merrillville, who we were scheduled to play first. After they got about a 25 minute break, we began.
In the doubles matches, it was clear early that we had more experience and overall power. All four doubles guys controlled their serves well, and controlled the net well. They put pressure on the Pirate's doubles teams, as they had to find a way around or over our net presence. Both of these matches ended fairly quickly, with victories for the Bruins.
In the doubles, Noah was playing a very similar opponent. While Noah was winning most of the games, their similar styles made for long and grueling points. Noah found that the strategy of the drop shot really put his opponent in difficult situations. Noah was able to use this weapon to both win points and frustrate his opponent. In the end, that was the first singles match to end, giving the Bruins the win in the match.
But Ethan and Cameron both had matches to finish up. Cameron had held tight through his first set, but eventually dropped it to a quick and talented #1S player for Merrillville. Cameron was playing great in the set, but Merrillville's #1 flew all around the court, continuing to make Cam hit another shot. In the second set, frustration kind of snowballed for Cam, and he couldn't get any good momentum going.
Ethan's match had a bit of a similar feel. Ethan played long points in the first set, having trouble finding a way to attack his opponent. He hit a ton of good shots, but couldn't quite get separation in the scoreline. His serve continued to be a great weapon. At the end of the close set, Ethan was able to pull away and finish the set behind some good serving. Immediately in the second set, Ethan fell behind, but then really discovered his weapon. Similarly to Noah, he could drop a ball short and pull his opponent to the net, then rip a passing shot for the point. Repeating this strategy often, Ethan pulled away for an easier second set.
That left the Merrillville match as a 4-1 win for the Bruins. After a short rest, we went back to work against Portage. And in this match, we pretty much came out playing our best tennis.
Cameron had readjusted from his first match. He had a good chat with Matthew. I showed him the notes that Emma Radacanu had used to mentally prepare in each match of the US Open. And he reset beautifully. From the first point of the match, Cam was in charge. He looked confident and assertive on court, in demeanor and in his shots. That was never really shaken throughout the match. Cam won in a straight forward way, ending the match with a beautiful backhand winner.
Again, the doubles had fairly straightforward matches. Austin and Matthew struggled a bit more on return in some of the games, but still confidently held the net. They have become pros at putting the pressure on and making their opponents come up with big shots. Today, they were the ones attacking with forehands and net rushes. At #2D, Breece's serve and Jacob's overheads kept causing problems... literally causing them to lose tennis balls. As their strong shots sailed toward their opponents, Portage framed many of them and they went into a construction zone behind the court. It was great to see the team playing loose, having fun and playing well.
Ethan also loosened up in his second match. His knee had been hurting him in the first match, but in the second it caused no problems. Ethan served, moved, struck the ball with confidence and even though he lost the first game of each set, that was all he would lose. I was impressed with his attitude in this match too, just like it needs to be to compete.
Noah had the longest match, but it was never really in doubt. His opponent seemed to have the best strokes, but had trouble using those strokes to move Noah around the court. Sometimes, this drew Noah into rallies that were down the middle of the court only. But when Noah started to move his opponent around, he could draw errors from him. In the end, it didn't end up being that close of a match.
And so against Portage, we were able to claim a 5-0 victory. With two wins on the day, we were unofficially the champions of the "Double Dual Tournament." It was in more bright sunshine that we drove home, feeling really good about the tennis we played and the results we achieved.
This segment is where I'll highlight ways that we built each other up during the match or the lead up to it.
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